Archive for the 'Shaq Evans' Tag Under 'UCLA' Category

When Jim Mora came to UCLA before the 2012 season, he brought a notable NFL pedigree with him to Westwood, having coached at the next level for almost 25 seasons.

And almost immediately, the results were apparent. Last season, UCLA had a player drafted in the first round (Datone Jones) for the first time since 2006. The Bruins had four players drafted in all in 2013 -- the most they've had selected in eight years.

In all, five Bruins should be drafted this weekend, tied for the most since 1989, when Troy Aikman and Carnell Lake highlighted perhaps the best class of NFL prospects that UCLA ever produced. Safe to say, after years of anonymity in the draft, UCLA certainly seems back on track in terms of developing talent for the next level.

We'll take a close look in the next two days at this year's talented class of UCLA players set to take the plunge this weekend. On Wednesday, we looked at Barr and Su'a-Filo, two players likely to be selected in the first 40 picks this weekend. Today, with the start of the draft on tap, we'll look at the rest of the UCLA prospects likely to be taken this weekend.

The NFL Scouting Combine wraps up on Tuesday, after a five-day workout fest at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium. UCLA was represented quite well at this year's event, with two likely first-round picks and at least three more players certain to get drafted.

UCLA could be quite the player in May’s NFL Draft, with a near-guaranteed top-10 pick in Anthony Barr, a top-flight underclassmen quarterback in Brett Hundley, and at least four other players likely to be selected in the first five rounds.

Whether Hundley or offensive lineman Xavier Su’a-Filo declare or not, Barr will be the headliner. A consensus All-American and one of the most coveted pass rushers in the draft, Barr will probably end up being a top-five pick, according to ESPN draft expert Todd McShay.

“He just continues to get better and better in terms of his play, how he’s using his hands, how he gets off his blocks," McShay said.

In his first mock draft, McShay put Barr as the seventh pick to Tampa Bay, a few picks below South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney, who McShay still believes is better than Barr, despite questions about his work ethic this season. McShay called Clowney "the most gameplanned for defensive player this season".

“He’s not as talented as Clowney. He’s not as big, and he’s probably just a notch below in terms of explosive athleticism."

LOS ANGELES -- While Mora preached focus all week long, in hopes of avoiding an emotional hangover against New Mexico State, senior wideout Shaq Evans, who leads the Bruins in receiving this season, became the talk of the town on Wednesday, ripping cross-town rival USC in an afternoon radio interview.

The comments sparked some Internet chatter on a week that UCLA has otherwise tried to remain quiet. Mora already spent Tuesday putting out fires after freshman safety Tahaan Goodman tweeted about his frustrations with his playing time.

But on Thursday, Mora alleged that he hadn’t heard or even been alerted to Evans’ radio trash talk.

LOS ANGELES — They emerge from the icy cold tubs at Spalding Field, like they do after every and during every practice – with all the flash of a Hollywood entourage. Just a few feet away rap mogul Sean “P. Diddy” Combs is taking in the scene, an hour after rolling up to UCLA’s practice with his own crew in a Maybach luxury car. It’s exactly the way UCLA’s receivers had expected this season to start: The glitz, the glamour, and all eyes on them. Every practice is another premiere.

“We’re swagged out,” says sophomore Devin Lucien, the first of the group to emerge. “That’s all that is. It’s swag, I can’t really explain it. That’s just how we are. I don’t want to say we’re flashy because we don’t try to be, but it’s just how we carry ourselves.”

Lucien had all of 10 catches last season after missing time due to a collarbone injury. But no receiver on UCLA’s roster is more comfortable being the center of the entourage.

During spring practice, after each of his routine acrobatic catches in the end zone, Lucien would showboat and let nearby reporters know he was coming for fellow wideout Jordan Payton’s starting spot. Lucien is as “Hollywood” as players get in Westwood.

But the spotlight-hogging demeanor that he’s made a name for has taken a step back this fall, even as the hype continues to grow about UCLA’s receiving corps. Coach Jim Mora says that Lucien is “growing up.” Lucien calls it “finding his tunnel vision”.

For UCLA's group of talented wideouts and tight ends, the spotlight is now officially on.

That message was clear enough during the spring with each new day bringing further attention to the Bruins' talented, yet unproven receiving corps. First, it was Devin Lucien repeating to the media that he deserved a starting spot. Then, it was Shaq Evans barking at any UCLA cornerback , and new tight end Darius Bell explaining how he could be better than last year's touchdown extraordinaire Joseph Fauria.

Throw in a potential breakout threat in Devin Fuller and a talented Jordan Payton -- who was quietly impressive during the spring -- and the expectations for UCLA's receiving corps are undeniably high heading into this season.

And for UCLA's passing game to take a step forward -- just as its running game takes a step back with the graduation of Johnathan Franklin -- that endless chatter will need to translate to results on the field.

Last season, that was easier said than done, as many of UCLA's wideouts struggled with injuries. Fuller, Bell, and Lucien (37 catches combined in 2012) were especially affected -- all three missed serious time. Injuries like that -- given the Bruins' limited depth at the position -- could derail UCLA's passing game in a hurry this season.